Jon is a promising musical composer and lyricist, works as a waiter in New York and has been dreaming of a career on Broadway for years. Despite intensive work and the clear vision of reforming musical theater and bringing it up to date, the big breakthrough is a long time coming. Shortly before his 30th birthday restlessness begins to take hold of him. He fundamentally questions his life choices and feels pressure from all sides: his girlfriend Susan longs for a tranquil family life , his childhood friend Michael wants him to get an office job with a secure income … panic.

tick, tick... BOOM! is semi-autobiographical, existential and innovative. Originally performed on stage from 1990 as a one-man show by Larson himself, it was posthumously re-adapted as a three-person play in 2001, and gained wider notoriety no later than 2021 through its award-winning Netflix extension into a feature film. Larson himself was a door-opener and pioneer for a new kind of musical: close to the issues of young people, close to the music of the time. With a pointed staging of the version for three actors, the Volksoper is also breaking new ground and proving once again that it is a creative place with its finger on the pulse.

tick, tick... BOOM!

Volksoper Wien

Before Rent, there was Tick... Tick... Boom! This autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning composer of Rent, is the story of a composer and the sacrifices that he made to achieve his big break in theatre. His girlfriend wants to get married and move out of the city, his best friend is making big bucks on Madison Avenue and, yet, Jon is still waiting on tables and trying to write the great American musical. Set in 1990, this compelling story of personal discovery takes you on the playwright/composer's journey that led to a Broadway blockbuster.

Tick... Tick... Boom!

Alumnae Theatre Company

Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, Rent is a cultural phenomenon with rock-infused songs and a story that resonates across generations. The show follows young artists in New York's East Village as they navigate love, loss, and creativity amid the HIV/AIDS crisis.

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Rent

Music Theatre of Connecticut

Believe

Port Plaza 

At the end of the millennium, a group of bohemians in the East Village struggle with love, loss, and gentrification amidst the AIDS crisis. In this immersive, exciting new production, Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award™ and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical will transform the Haas Stage and shake the rafters with the iconic chords of “Seasons of Love,” “I’ll Cover You, ” and the thrilling, soaring score that is RENT!

Arden Theatre Company

In pursuit of their degrees at SFCM, each student presents a recital that represents their artistry and craft. Student Recitals feature repertoire curated by students with guidance from their faculty instructor. 

Garrett Wilmoth, voice - Senior Recital

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical, tick, tick...Boom! is a magical   musical story about the process of creation, with

its frustrations and joys.

tick, tick...Boom! 

Wilmington Drama League

Ring in the New Year with an unforgettable evening of Baroque works by Bach and Handel performed by the New York Festival Singers and Litha Symphony at Trinity Lutheran Church in the UWS.

Celebrate the season with Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 and selections from the Christmas Oratorio. Delight in a selection of arias from Handel's most cherished works, and then sing along to the Hallelujah Chorus and the traditional Auld Lang Syne.

New Year's Eve 2024

Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan

Tick, Tick... Boom!

Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre

This performance is free and open to the general public.

Faculty Recital: Dr. Nicholas Miguel, baritone & Dr. Yeon-Kyung Kim, piano

Western Illinois University

Before he electrified the world with Rent, Jonathan Larson was a young man struggling to make his mark in the theater. While he waits tables and seeks his big break, the pressure to give it all up grows as Jon approaches his 30th birthday. Will he sell out to keep the lights on? Will he lose the love of his life? Will he finally write the soaring song that can change everything? And if he does, will anyone be there to see it? Set in 1990 and scored by the music that redefined a genre, tick, tick… BOOM! cracks open the ticking-time-bomb world of creating theater to celebrate the power of finding your voice and holding on to a dream.

Old Town Theatre

Experience the raw energy and emotion of "Rent" at the Conejo Players Theatre in Thousand Oaks. This vibrant production runs from June 14 to July 7, 2024, offering a glimpse into the lives of young artists and musicians navigating their existence and aspirations in New York’s Lower East Side amidst the HIV/AIDS crisis. With music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, "Rent" is a poignant narrative of love, loss, and the enduring spirit of youth.

Directed by Shawn Adams-Lanz and produced by Courtney Potter, the show boasts a talented cast including Brennen Klitzner as Roger, Quinn Husband as Mark, and Melina Ortega as Mimi, among others. The production is brought to life through the collaboration of music directors Kyle DeTarnowsky and Erin Fagundes, choreographer Danielle Reyes, and a dedicated crew.

Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., with special performances on Thursday, June 20 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, June 29 at 2 p.m. This rendition of "Rent" is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). Due to its mature themes, "Rent" is not recommended for children.

Don't miss your chance to witness this exuberant and passionate production. Get your tickets now and join us at the Conejo Players Theatre for an unforgettable theatrical experience.

Conejo Players Theatre

tick, tick...BOOM! is the captivating musical masterpiece by the late, great Jonathan Larson (RENT). Set in the bustling streets of New York City, this electrifying production ignites the stage with raw emotion and unyielding passion.

tick, tick...BOOM!

The Arthur Laurents Theater

Jonathan Larson’s Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York City’s Lower East Side in the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates.

Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts

Live at the Filler, it’s opera and musical theater like you’ve never seen before. Join cast members from La Bohème and local stars Paige Rasmussen (Paige & The People’s Band) and Jeff Kitto (The Clintons) as they present music from the rock musical, RENT and the opera that inspired it.

No Day But Today

The Filling Station

Set in the East Village of New York City, Rent is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent has become a pop cultural phenomenon. with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages.

Theatre Baton Rouge

Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Jonathan Larson’s Rent is the pop cultural phenomenon that has resonated with audiences since it premiered. Set in New York’s Lower East Side, we follow a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create under the shadow of economic displacement and the AIDS crisis. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves, and conflicts is an exuberant, tragic, and joyous journey in one of the most beloved pop musicals of all time!

Rent: The Musical

Long Beach Playhouse

Based loosely on Puccini’s La Boheme, Jonathan Larson’s Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.

Theatre Tallahassee

The Festival welcomes Broadway veterans Scarlett Strallen, LaKisha Jones, and Hugh Panaro for a dazzling evening of favorites from New York City's famed theater district. Hear hits from Dear Evan Hansen, Rent, The Lion King, Dreamgirls, Phantom of the Opera, and more.

Bravo Broadway

Millennium Park

Before Rent, there was tick, tick … Boom!. This autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award–winning composer of Rent, is the story of an aspiring composer who questions his life choices on the eve of his thirtieth birthday. His girlfriend wants to get married and move out of the city, his best friend is making big bucks on Madison Avenue, and yet Jon is still waiting on tables and trying to write the great American musical.

Tick, Tick Boom Studio Musical

Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.

Jonathan Larson

Events

Upcoming events

Jan 14 - Mar 24, 2026

tick, tick... BOOM! · Volksoper Wien

Past events

Jan 14 - Mar 24, 2026

tick, tick... BOOM! · Volksoper Wien

7 - 15 Nov, 2025

Tick... Tick... Boom! · Bowtie Productions

About

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